All four cities have invested in bicycle-related infrastructure, which includes bike lanes, bike routes — lanes that often contain additional signage or markings — and paved, multi-use paths reserved for non-motorized travel.

"We sort of acknowledge that we can do a lot better as far as being a bicycle-friendly community," Sage said.

Glendale hopes to turn the situation around by creating an “active transportation plan” that studies which bike or pedestrian-related projects the city should invest in. Glendale will begin developing the plan in late-February — the first step of which is to map out the city's current road infrastructure.

"The front end of it is really an educational process for us to figure out where we are before we can even really start formulating a strategy on what makes sense to where we want to go both in kind of the short-term and the longer-term planning horizon," Sage said.

As part of the effort, planners will study the bike programs and amenities in other cities and gather input from residents. Sage said Glendale will also look into how its streets and pathways connect with bordering cities such as Peoria and Phoenix.

Sage said he hopes to release the plan with a list of recommended projects and other policy-related recommendations that would make Glendale more bike-friendly by spring of 2019.

Glendale originally was going to release the plan in 2022 or 2024, Sage said, but expedited the process with a nearly $198,000 grant from the Maricopa Association of Governments. The city will kick in $40,000.

More bike lanes?

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“We have a pretty good network along with our neighboring cities of recreational trails and pathways, which is great,” Stephanie Stearns, Glendale transportation planner, previously told The Arizona Republic. “But, we also want to focus on putting infrastructure on the street so that people can not just go out for a nice ride on the weekend but can ride to and from work and school or whatever errands they have.”

Glendale has 74 miles of bike lanes or routes along its roadways.

By comparison, Phoenix has 533 miles, Scottsdale has 272 miles and Peoria has 119 miles of bike lanes and routes.

What makes a city bike-friendly?

Bike lanes and well-maintained streets are optimal for getting around on a bike, but they aren’t the only things bicyclists look for.

Derek Bouchard-Hall, CEO for the bicycle advocacy group USA Cycling, said creating a bike-friendly culture can be difficult.

"One of the challenges that we often have in communities is that there can be a perspective that cars are for roads and cyclists are interfering with the use of cars," Bouchard-Hall said.

This mindset, Bouchard-Hall said, can lead to aggressive driving and potentially endanger lives. To combat this, cities should add reminders that the road belongs to bicyclists as well, such as “share the road” signs.

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Bicycle safety tips to help keep everyone safe on the roadways.
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Kyle Wagenschutz, director of local innovation at People For Bikes, said signs aren’t enough. He contends cities should invest in infrastructure that improves safety — such as bike lanes with a curb or barrier that physically separates cars and bikes. Wagenschutz said cities should aim for roads that are safe for all types of bicyclists.

"We want to be able to have bike infrastructure that is safe and comfortable for people of all ages and abilities," Wagenschutz said. "And so we think about, you know, would my 8-year-old daughter, would I feel comfortable with her riding on this particular trail or bike lane?"

But this can come with some trade-offs.

Bouchard-Hall noted that adding bike lanes and related infrastructure is often expensive and can sometimes mean losing a car lane or parking spaces.

Ask Tempe how that can go over. City leaders got an earful from drivers when they reduced lanes on McClintock Drive to add a buffered bike lane in 2015. Cyclists embraced the added safety. Drivers complained of snarled commutes.

Surprise faced similar push back when it reduced lanes on Bullard Avenue for golf cart lanes in 2015.

“To make the road infrastructure good for cycling, it usually involves some level of investment and trade-offs,” Bouchard-Hall said. “And that is tough for public planners to make.”

Wagenschutz said another challenge for planners is ensuring the city’s bike lanes and paths connect to places bicyclists want to go.

"What if you built a Walmart in your city, but didn't actually build a road to actually get there?” he asked. “The bicycling network has to have the same level of consideration."